If you’re planning to attend the upcoming OLC Innovate conference in Denver, stop by to hear Marc Drumm, PA-ADOPT’s Principal Investigator, and Hannah Glatt, Learning Experience and eTextbook Designer, present “How a University’s eTextbook Development Program Became a Multi-Institutional OER Consortium: PA-ADOPT” on Friday, April 12 from 11:15am to noon MT. We’ll talk about the approach we took to introducing West Chester University faculty to producing their own eTextbooks, the methods we use and topics we teach, and how this eventually led to receiving a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to expand this program into leading four Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) institutions in a three-year project to create OER eTextbooks focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Health, and Writing courses.
PA-ADOPT Discussed in ODLI on Air Podcast
PA-ADOPT’s Marc Drumm, Hannah Glatt, and Dr. Jordan Schugar had to opportunity to discuss the WCU eTextbook Initiative and PA-ADOPT in the April 5th, 2023 episode of ODLI on Air from West Chester University.
Episode Description: Marc Drumm and Hannah Glatt from the Office of Digital Learning and Innovation share what goes into designing and creating a digital textbook for both the eTextbook Initiative and PA ADOPT Grant at West Chester University. Dr. Jordan Schugar weighs in on what motivated him to participate in both of these and how students can benefit from faculty creating their own textbooks.
Take a listen to ODLI on Air: Apple | Spotify. Closed Captioning available via the Spotify link.
PA-ADOPT Featured in PASSHE Connectivity Bulletin
Check out the PASSHE Connectivity Bulletin Article by Loretta MacAlpine “PA-ADOPT: Four System Schools Collaborate to Close Equity Gap” The article discusses that the State System has maintained frozen tuition for four years but faces a challenge with expensive textbooks, especially for Pell-eligible students. To address this, a consortium of four universities in Pennsylvania established the PA-ADOPT program. With funding from the U.S. Department of Education, this initiative aims to create Open Educational Resources (OER) and open electronic textbooks. The program focuses on STEM-H and high-enrollment writing courses. Led by Marc Drumm from West Chester University, faculty members are trained to develop quality eTextbooks, aiming to save students an estimated $400 annually. These eTextbooks will be openly licensed for wider use and modification. The project, targeting more than the initially proposed 24 eTextbooks, is set to conclude in August 2024, funded by a $918,000 grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE).